Coreopsis plant named &#39;FIREFLY&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Coreopsis  plant named ‘Firefly’ characterized by daisy-type inflorescences that grow to 4 cm in diameter, inflorescences that are bright yellow with dark red eyes, hardy to Zone 6 (maybe lower), grass green foliage on short stems, flowering for the whole summer, a very compact, mounding habit, and excellent vigor.

BOTANICAL DENOMINATION

Coreopsis hybrid

VARIETY DESIGNATION

‘Firefly’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct Coreopsis and giventhe cultivar name ‘Firefly’. Coreopsis is in the family Asteraceae. Thisnew cultivar originated from a controlled breeding program to producehardy compact Coreopsis. The new cultivar originated from planned crossof two proprietary unnamed Coreopsis verticillata hybrid seedlings. Thenew cultivar of Coreopsis is an herbaceous perennial to be grown forlandscape and container use in a sunny site.

Compared to the parent seedlings the new variety is much shorter withlarger flowers and a more upright habit.

Compared to Coreopsis ‘Bengal Tiger’, U.S. Plant patent application Ser.No. 13/815,517, the new cultivar is much more compact, with smallerflowers that have darker yellow color and a smaller more concentratedred center.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of the new variety. These characteristicsin combination distinguish Coreopsis ‘Firefly’ as a new and distinctcultivar:

1. daisy-type inflorescences that grow to 4 cm in diameter,

2. inflorescences that are dark yellow with dark red eyes,

3. hardy to Zone 6, maybe lower,

4. grass green foliage on short stems,

5. flowering for the whole summer,

6. a very compact, mounding habit, and

7. excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation(cuttings and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identicalcharacteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by cuttingsand tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques withterminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that theforegoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and areestablished and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The presentinvention has not been evaluated under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environmentwithout a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows a group of nine-month-old Coreopsis ‘Firefly’ growing inthe ground in the trial field in late July in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Coreopsis cultivarbased on observations of nine-month-old specimens growing in the trialbeds in full sun in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8 on the USDA Hardinessmap. Temperatures range from a high of 95° F. in August to 32° F. inJanuary. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The colordescriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:    -   -   Type.—herbaceous perennial.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 6 to 9.        -   Size.—35 cm wide and 27 cm tall to top of inflorescences.        -   Form.—mound.        -   Vigor.—excellent.        -   Roots.—fibrous, stems root easily from stem cuttings.-   Stem:    -   -   Type.—ascending, well branched.        -   Size.—grows to 17 cm tall to where branches for flowering            and 5 mm wide.        -   Number of stems from the crown.—30.        -   Branching habit.—Freely branched, an average of 8 lateral            branches with secondary branches, branches are opposite in            arrangement, new lateral flowering branches are continuously            produced throughout the summer.        -   Internode length.—1 cm to 3.5 cm.        -   Surface.—glabrous.        -   Color.—Green 138B.-   Leaf:    -   -   Type.—simple.        -   Shape.—pinnately 3 parted with thread-like segments, to            linear on top leaves.        -   Arrangement.—opposite.        -   Size.—thread-like segments can spread to 3 cm wide and 4 cm            long, the linear segments can grow to 40 mm long and 2 mm            wide.        -   Apex.—acute.        -   Margins.—entire.        -   Petiole.—0 mm to 2 mm long and 1 mm wide, Green 137B.        -   Surface texture.—glabrous on top and sparsely pubescent on            bottom side.        -   Venation.—pinnate, visible main vein the same color as the            leaf on both sides.        -   Color.—topside Green 137A, bottom side Green 137B.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Type.—long stalked terminal heads of daisy type            inflorescences.        -   Peduncle.—grows to 3.5 cm long, 1 mm wide, glabrous, Green            137A.        -   Size.—grows to 4 cm wide and 10 mm deep.        -   Immature (i.e. the “flower bud”).—globular, 4 mm wide and 4            mm deep, Yellow Green 152B, glabrous.        -   Receptacle.—disc shaped, 3 mm wide and 1.2 mm deep, Yellow            Green 145B.        -   Phyllaries.—series not distinct; usually 9 lobes in number,            in an area 3 mm deep and spreading 6 wide mm wide, each lobe            linear, 2 mm to 4 mm long and 1 mm wide, margin entire, tip            acute, glabrous on both sides, both sides Green 137A.        -   Lastingness.—each inflorescence lasts about a week on the            plant.-   Florets:    -   -   Type.—composite.        -   Ray florets.—8 in number with no pistil or stamen, grows to            21 mm long, 7 mm wide, obovate, with the tip acute and top ⅓            sometimes irregularly notched, side margins entire, glabrous            on both sides; topside Yellow 7A on top ⅔, Greyed Purple            187B on bottom third, bottom side Yellow 5A on top ⅔ to            Greyed Yellow 161A on bottom third.        -   Disc.—flat becoming rounded with maturity, 5.5 mm wide and            becoming 4 mm deep with maturity, Greyed Purple 187B.        -   Disc florets.—tubular, with stamen and pistil, about 40 in            number, 8 mm long and 1 mm wide, tubular; corolla 5.5 mm            long, 5 lobed, tube Yellow 4C, lobes Greyed Purple 187A;            pistil 1, 8 mm long, ovary 2 mm long, Green Yellow 1C, style            5 mm long, with extruding, 2-branched stigma, stigma and            style Yellow Orange 22A; stamen 5, anthers 1.2 mm long,            Greyed Brown N199B, pollen none.        -   Bloom period.—June through frost in Canby, Oreg.        -   Fragrance.—none.        -   Seed.—none seen.        -   Fertility.—poor.        -   Disease and pests.—No pests or diseases have been observed            on plants grown under commercial conditions in Canby, Oreg.            No resistances are known.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Coreopsis plant as herein illustrated anddescribed.